Unfair and illegal default on my credit account by virgin media
I was a Virgin media customer for 17 years until 2022 when I moved out of my property and closed my account. I received a letter from virgin media saying there was a balance of £44 to pay which I paid the same day. I returned the hub and got a letter from them thanking me and confirming the return. You can imagine my shock this week when I went to check my Experian account and there was a default of £26 from Virgin media on the account. As far as I was aware I had paid the final bill on the same day it arrived. What I'm can't understand is that they did not notify me of any other money owing on my account. This is required under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Additionally, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) guidelines stipulate that creditors must take all reasonable steps to inform customers of outstanding balances before taking action that could affect their credit file. It is evident this process was not followed in my case. This lack of communication also breaches Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) guidelines, which mandate that creditors take all reasonable steps to inform customers of outstanding balances before recording a default on their credit file. Additionally, recording a default without sending a notice or verifying the accuracy of the debt may also breach GDPR’s accuracy principle, as the data being processed (in this case, my credit file information) must be accurate, up-to-date, and reflect the correct circumstances. Their actions have caused significant harm, including jeopardising my ability to secure a mortgage—an outcome that could have been avoided with appropriate communication and due diligence. I have contacted both Virgin Media Senior Resolution Specialist and the credit file amendments team department and asked for: Full clarification of the origin and breakdown of the £26 charge. Immediate removal of the default from my credit file. Written confirmation of the actions taken to resolve this matter. Needless to say non of my questions were answered and a reply stated: "We are unable to remove the default on your credit file. Your credit file reflects your payment history with Virgin Media. If at any time your payments are late or your account is defaulted, this will be reflected accordingly on your credit file." I cannot believe the way they are handling this for someone who was their loyal customer for 17 years. I see that there are many other people like myself who have been mistreated the same. I shall not rest at this I intend to escalate this through the appropriate channels.